


Nothing To Be Scared Of

by OhMyViolet



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: A flashback to Mirage's childhood, A small mention of violence, Arachnophobia, Bullying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-30 20:36:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21434341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhMyViolet/pseuds/OhMyViolet
Summary: A flashback to Mirage's childhood, to explain why he's afraid of spiders. Has a little Miroctane at the end.
Relationships: But only a little at the end, Mirage | Elliott Witt/Octane | Octavio Silva
Kudos: 43





	Nothing To Be Scared Of

**Author's Note:**

> As usual, this was meant to be a drabble. 
> 
> In case you haven't read my piece about Mirage's brothers before, they are:  
Aaron (the oldest)  
Lucas (the second oldest)  
Kyle (the third oldest)  
Elliott (the youngest)
> 
> Also this actually happened to a kid at my school once.

He could still remember the feeling of the playing cards slipping from his fingers, at the impact. The cards scattered to the ground, as he was shoved forward, landing in either the dirt or the various puddles that had found homes on the uneven street, that lead to his home. They were the first to go, quickly followed by his backpack and his jacket as more hands than he could count in that moment, grabbed at him and tore at his clothes. He probably would’ve heard the group approach him if he wasn’t so engrossed in trying to get this new shuffle right. His grandma had told him she wouldn’t replace the deck, the next time he lost them. She always said that, and he’d always believed her. And yet, he’d still manage to lose them or ruin them somehow. He’d pout about it and the woman would laugh, ruffle his hair and return a few moments later with a new set. They’d always have scuffed edges, having been previously well loved by somebody else. He didn’t mind, it made them easier to work with.   
“I’m expecting your most impressive trick yet” she’d always say, watching as the young boy took the deck, and gave it an experimentary shuffle. “But remember; _I won’t_ replace them next time.”  
“I won’t lose them! I promise!” he’d always tell her.   
“I’m sure you won’t, pumpkin.”  
But he did. Every single time. 

His footing was the next thing to go. He hated how the mud squelched through his fingers, but he hated the choking feeling that came when the collar of his shirt was pulled harshly, forcing him backways, more. But it was the cruel laughing as he landed on his back, that really got to him, somehow feeling so much colder than the dampness that was now seeping into the back of his shirt and pants.   
“You almost make this too easy, Witt.”  
“I...already t-told you I don’t w-wanna fight you, Connor!”   
“Too bad” the bigger boy, snarled back. “Your brother started shit with my brother, so now I’m gonna start shit with you!”  
“Get off me!” Elliott yelled out, but not as loud as he intended, as he wiggled around and used dirty fingernails to claw at the hands gripping his collar, in an attempt to get the other boy’s weight off him.   
“Why don’t you tell Connor how you were mouthing off about him at lunch earlier?” a voice from behind him spoke up.  
“You’re always mouthing off, aren’t you, Witt? Always talking but never doing anything to back it up. Maybe if I beat you up, your stupid brother will stay away from mine!”  
“W-why are you even getting involved?!” Elliott squeaked back. “Th-that’s just what the older boys do! Th-they fight over dumb stuff!”

For a fleeting moment, he thought maybe he had gotten through to the boy and he’d leave him alone, as his piercing blue eyes looked away, conflicted. But Elliott had a problem that was bigger than his current predicament. He could never keep his mouth shut.   
“I think you’re just trying to be cool and you th-think this makes you look tough! But the older boys still won’t wanna hang out with you!”  
He knew he shouldn’t have said it, the second the words began leaving his mouth, but he couldn’t stop them. Something inside him told him he was right, but despite that, the swift blow to his cheek still shocked him. It took him, what felt like hours, to register the fact that, yes, he had actually been punched. Though, looking back, he would say it was definitely more of a slap than a punch.   
“You...You hit m-me!”  
“Yeah, I did! Now...shut up!”  
He didn’t know why he pushed back against the grip again, he should’ve just continued to lay there. Connor would’ve gotten bored. He knew he would have. The next thing he knew, he had managed to wiggle one arm free and sloppily collide a balled fist with the side of the other boy’s face. He looked stunned for a moment, and Elliott felt somewhat triumphant. However, the feeling was quickly replaced by regret, as the boys who had accompanied Connor on this excursion, were at his side in an instant, while the former got to his feet, rubbing his cheek with the back of his hand. The sharp kick he received to his side, made it difficult to continue wiggling against the grips on his arms and legs that kept him pinned to the ground. 

He followed the older boy, with his eyes, as he seemed to scan the area for inspiration. A part of Elliott still hoped that maybe he’d calm down now, he’d let him go and they’d laugh about it at school tomorrow. He’d come up with some excuse to tell his mom, to explain his mud covered clothes and everything would be fine. The smirk on Connor’s face told him differently, those blue eyes no longer tainted with uncertainty but pure mischief and deviousness. He walked towards a nearby bush, cradling his hands around something as he approached him. He held his new found weapon with an unnerving gentleness; something Elliott doesn’t recall ever seeing from him before. His body twitched on instinct, but he was unable to budge against the grips on his limbs. He was half expecting the clasped fists to collapse onto his face, and braced for an impact that never came. Instead, the boy kept his hands hovering above him, until he opened his eyes again.   
“I’ll get you to shut up.”   
His breathing hitched, when he noticed it was, in fact, a large spider that Connor was holding, as he began to menacingly lower his hands towards his face.   
“W-w-wait! I’m s-sorry! I didn’t say anything earlier! I swear! I won’t say anything ever again! P-please! I won’t!”  
If he thinks really hard about it, he can still remember the disgusting feeling of the spider’s legs against his cheek. It made his skin crawl when he thought about it, even to this day. He remembers thrashing his head from side to side, in an attempt to get it off him, until stubby fingers grabbed him by his face, stopping him.   
“Open your mouth.”  
He refused the order mentally. He was too scared to open his mouth to scream, incase the creature would be forced into it. He clamped his lips together, creating a taut barrier as he clenched his eyes shut. There was nothing he could do except try to drown out the cackling around him and the sensation of the spider’s thick legs, working it’s way over his face. He held his breath, trying to convince himself nothing was happening, and he had nothing to be scared of. But he couldn’t. No matter how hard he tried.

“Hey!”  
A voice came from the distance. A stern voice. A voice he recognised. The grips on his arms and legs were hastily removed and he bolted into a sitting position on instinct, keeping his eyes clenched shut as he scrubbed his dirty hands over his face, desperate to get rid of that crawling feeling. He opened his eyes at the sound of shuffling around him, followed by yelling. His body began to tremble uncontrollably, as his gaze landing on his two older brothers who were scolding the group of boys.  
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Lucas berated them. “He’s a grade below you for fuck’s sake! Go pick on someone your own size!”  
The group appeared to fold their arms in unison, spouting a series of “he started it”, and “he called us out first.”  
“Go home. All of you, before I kick your asses myself,” Aaron told them, pointing them back in the direction they had come from.  
“I’ll tell my brother you said that!”  
“Go ahead. Tell him. I’ll be sure to tell _him_ that his shitbag little brother, not only picks on kids younger than him, but has to bring a whole group to help him do it!”  
There was some grumbling from the group at the remark, but they did as they were told, and bolted back towards the town.

“Why are you even out here, Elliott?! You know you’re not supposed to walk home from school alone! Where the hell is Kyle?!”  
“I don’t know!” Elliott sniffled, looking up to his oldest brother with tear filled eyes, as he crouched next to him. “I waited for a while b-but, he s-said he had an after school club or something.”  
“After school club, my ass” Aaron mumbled.   
The youngest brother winced, as the oldest wiped at the red mark on his cheek with the cuff of his sleeve.  
“Come on, Ell. No more crying. You’ve nothing to be scared of. You’re gonna have to man up, sooner or later.”  
“Because that’s a _totally_ healthy mindset to have” Lucas quipped. “You weren’t exactly the “hard man” at 11, either.”   
“Whatever,” Aaron responded, scrubbing a hand through his short, sandy coloured hair. “Let’s get you home. You should probably get cleaned up before mom gets back.”   
Elliott nodded sadly, trying to ignore the dampness of his clothes as he stood up to collect his jacket and backpack. His bottom lip stuck out in a prominent pout, as he looked at the collection of playing cards, that were scattered across the area in different states of dismay.  
“My cards…”.  
Lucas folded his arms across his chest, letting out a sympathetic sigh as he observed the situation.   
“We could probably try to save some of them.”  
The youngest took a tentative step towards some of the cards, letting out a quiet squeak when the large spider from earlier, skittered across them.  
“N-no...It’s okay. I...Didn’t r-really want them anyways.”

* * *

“What would you do without me, huh?” Octavio teased jovially, as he peered at the spider who had decided to occupy the space next to the kitchen sink.   
Elliott frowned at the runner’s positive attitude, his eyes flicking from his discarded dishes on the counter top, and back to his partner, from his refuge on the couch.  
“Just...please get it out of there! I need to do the dishes!”   
Octavio laughed quietly, as he retrieved a glass from the cupboard and nudged the spider inside with his fingers. The trickster ran a hand through his curls, letting out a relieved sigh, when his boyfriend stepped out of their home to put the spider outside. He made a quick, mental note to never drink from that glass ever again, or touch the runner’s hands for the rest of the evening. He carefully inspected the area around the sink, before deciding it was safe to wash his plate now.   
“See? You have nothing to be scared of!” Octavio announced upon his return, holding the now empty glass above his head, triumphantly.   
“I’m...not _scared_ of them, I just don’t...like them in the apartment. They’re..._dirty_.”  
“Don’t worry, mi amor,” the runner soothed, wrapping his arms around the trickster’s waist and hugging him from behind.. “I’ll protect you from the spooky spiders.”  
“Oh, you’re so funny,” Elliott responded, somewhat sarcastically, as he turned around, slinging his arms over the younger man’s shoulders.  
Octavio grinned at him, causing the other to smile back.   
“Now, I believe even superheroes have to get paid so…”.   
Elliott snorted at the statement.  
“Oh, really? Well, I’m sorry but I don’t really have any cash on me right now.”  
“That’s what they always say!” the runner chuckled. “Lucky for you, I only accept payment in kisses.”  
The trickster laughed quietly, cupping the younger legend’s cheek, lightly.   
“I think I can manage that. Thank you for taking care it, baby.” 


End file.
